Effect of assessor team composition on assessment centre decision making

The present study investigated the impact of a number of assessor characteristics upon the relative contribution of individual assessor ratings to the final assessment centre decision. Berger, Cohen and Zelditch (1966) have suggested that status characteristics such as gender can affect the influence hierarchy of the group in that women are seen to be of a lower status than men and as such are allowed less influence over the group task. It was therefore proposed that male assessors would have more influence over the final assessment centre decision than female assessors. It has also been suggested that personality characteristics may affect the amount of influence that an individual is allowed over a group discussion. Previous literature has proposed that individuals who demonstrate high dominance and masculinity and low femininity may be allowed more influence over a group decision. The present study also proposes therefore that assessors who show high dominance or masculinity and low femininity will have more influence over the consensus discussion in an assessment centre. These hypotheses were investigated using two alternate studies. The first of these consisted of a laboratory-based simulation of an assessment centre. The results showed that sex, dominance and masculinity did not have an impact on influence, whereas femininity had a negative effect in that assessors who were less feminine had more influence over the consensus discussion. The second study was designed to assess the external validity of the findings of the first study using information that from archive records of candidates who participated in a real life assessment centre. The results demonstrated an effect of sex but not of femininity upon influence therefore contradicting the findings of study one. These findings are discussed with regard to the literature on sex and personality differences in group-decision-making